If you take a test in a health care setting or a lab, a health care provider or lab technician will take a sample of your blood or oral fluid. If it’s a rapid test done by taking oral fluid or by pricking your finger for a few drops of blood, you may be able to wait for the results. If it’s a blood sample that goes to a lab, it can take several days for your results to be available. Your health care provider or counselor may talk with you about your HIV risk factors, answer any questions, and discuss the next steps with you, especially if your rapid test result is positive.

• If your test comes back negative, and you haven’t had an exposure during the window period for the test you took, you can be confident you don’t have HIV. You can take actions to prevent HIV, such as using pre-exposure prophylaxis.
• If your oral swab or finger prick test is positive, it will need to be followed up with a blood sample to confirm the results.
• If that confirmatory blood sample test result is positive, the lab will conduct follow-up tests. If you receive a positive test result, you can take medicine to treat HIV (called antiretroviral therapy or ART), which protects your health and prevents transmission to others. You may be able to start treatment the same day you get your test result.